Direct characterisation of naive epitope-specific T cell populations and their influence on immune responses

细胞毒性T细胞（CTL）识别并清除病毒感染的细胞。参与应答的T细胞的数量和多样性都会影响病毒清除。我们计划使用一种新技术来直接分析感染前小鼠中此类CTL的数量和多样性。这将阐明感染前细胞群的特征如何定义感染后的免疫反应。这对于疫苗设计最大化免疫应答效率至关重要。

CytotoxicT cells (CTLs) recognize and remove virus infected cells. Both the number and the diversity of T cells involved in the response influence viral clearance. We plan to use a novel technology to directly analyze the numbers and diversity of such CTLs in mice prior to infection. This will clarify how characteristics of cell populations prior to infection define the immune response after infection. This is critical for vaccine design to maximize the efficiency of the immune response.